Following the shock announcement of Heath Ledger's death, Blockbuster.co.uk's Mal Simons takes a look at the career of an actor who seemed to have everything going for him.
Born in Australia in April 1979, with a French teacher mother and a race car driver father; Heath Ledger grew up to become one of Australia's most loved and best known actors of recent years.
Like so many young Australian actors, Ledger starred in long-running Aussie soap Home and Away. Leaving school at 16 to pursue acting full time, Ledger reportedly drove across country with his best friend to set up in Sydney. After appearing in a number of short-lived Australian TV shows, Ledger made his big screen debut in the 1997 Australian Independent film Blackrock, but it was his breakout role in the Hollywood hit 10 Things I Hate About You that propelled him to international stardom.
Following on from 10 Things, Ledger first showed off his true acting chops in the critically acclaimed Australian film Two Hands, in which he played the central role. An actor determined to be seen as good at his craft and not just famous, Ledger turned down most of the roles he was offered after 10 Things in order to wait for a serious part. Financially, things reportedly got so bad that he even borrowed money from his agent to make ends meet.
All this changed however when Ledger won the role in the 2000 Mel Gibson blockbuster The Patriot. Although the film met mixed reviews by critics, the film was both a popular and commercial success, relaunching his fledgling career.
Ledger followed up on his role as Mel Gibson's son in The Patriot with significant parts in Monster's Ball, A Knight's Tale and The Four Feathers. Ledger even returned to his roots playing the role of notorious Australian criminal Ned Kelly. While these films received mixed reviews from critics, they did help to cement his position as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
"If you're just safe about the choices you make, you don't grow," said the star.
2005 saw Ledger's career reach a whole new level when he won critical acclaim for his role as a gay cowboy in Ang Lee's controversial drama Brokeback Mountain. Nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture and for Ang Lee, Best Director, the film went on to become one of the year's biggest box office hits. Widely tipped to win an Oscar for his performance, Ledger only narrowly lost out to Capote star Philip Seymour Hoffman.
"We had a good sense of humour about it," said Ledger of Brokeback Mountain, "because we knew what we were holding on to and how it was going to exceed expectations and [labels]. We weren't running around naked in chaps swinging pink guns in the air. We knew that, and we found it funny that no one else did."
Following Brokeback Mountain, Ledger starred alongside Hollywood's golden boy Matt Damon in The Brothers Grimm, while in Casanova, Ledger played the lead role opposite Sienna Miller. Mauled by critics and largely ignored by audiences, Casanova was a rare failure in his otherwise extraordinary career.
In 2007 Ledger won the role of The Joker in Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight, taking on the role once occupied by Hollywood legend Jack Nicholson. His performance is said to be extraordinary. Shooting wrapped shortly before his death.
As with all young celebrities, Ledger was seen in the press more for his private life than for his film career and was the constant target of the paparazzi. After his break-up with Naomi Watts in 2004, it is reported that he assaulted a photographer that got too close - something that Ledger himself strongly denied. Still, in 2006, several photographers 'retaliated' by squirting Ledger with water at the red carpet premiere of Brokeback Mountain in Sydney.
Ledger was engaged to actress Michelle Williams who he met on the set of Brokeback Mountain, and the two had a child together, Matilda, born in October 2005. Dividing their time between New York, Los Angeles and Australia, Ledger and Williams seemed like the perfect couple until they separated in August 2007, citing their 'busy schedules' as the cause of the separation.
As too often the case in Hollywood, Ledger's death was tragic and sudden. Witnesses who claim to have seen Ledger in recent weeks have reported that the actor looked fit and well while the police officers investigating his death have said that no alcohol or illegal drugs were found at the scene.
In a statement released to the press on January 23rd 2008, Heath Ledger's parents said, "We, Heath's family, confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda, who was found in a peaceful sleep in his New York apartment by his housekeeper at 3:30pm [New York Time]. We would like to thank our friends and everyone around the world for their kind wishes at this time."
"Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure to truly know him. He was a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and unselfish individual who was an extreme inspiration to many. Please now respect our family's need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately."
Heath Ledger was aged 28.
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